infed.org | William Alexander Smith – the founder of the Boys’ Brigade as a youth worker search William Alexander Smith – the founder of the Boys’ Brigade as a youth worker William Alexander Smith – the founder of the Boys’ Brigade as a youth worker. Jonathan Roberts examines the William Alexander Smith’s contribution to the founding, character and development of the Boys’ Brigade. He seeks to get behind many of the mistaken images of the work that those outside it have. Contents: introduction · William Alexander Smith · the Boys’ Brigade – military, drill, uniform and discipline · not the only way to do it? · further reading and references · links · how to cite this article Many reactions to the Boys’ Brigade (Boys’ Brigade) are at one end of a continuum or the other: fond memories of friendships, dignity and activities that stay life long; or blank disbelief at what appears to be militaristic, conservative, and badly out of date. Yet over the years I have met a number of committed and courageous people who have been in the Boys’ Brigade and used it to offer young people youth work in some of the most difficult areas of the country, In this piece I want to look at William A. Smith’s vision to see if it still works.

I also want to explore William A. Smith’s significance for youth work and informal education more widely and to make connections to other work. What was it like in the early days in the Boys’ Brigade? What drew young men to join and what aspects of their life benefited from what happened in the Boys’ Brigade? In the interaction between the intentions of the adults and the activities that worked for the young people methods evolved that were and are used more widely than just the Boys’ Brigade. For church youth work William Smith started a movement that carried with it many of the abiding dilemmas of how far do you go in evangelism? From a social point of view the Boys’ Brigade addressed the great generation of young people of the growth in British population: their longevity, as clean water and the end of cholera kicked in, meant that they were able to make traditions over 50 years in their own life times. The influence and impact of William Smith’s ideas and their organisation meant that they were imitated, criticised and contradicted in his own life time.

William Alexander Smith William Alexander Smith (1854-1914) was born 20 miles west of John O’Groats, near Thurso, Scotland on 27th October 1854. He was the eldest son of Major David Smith, and Harriet. His father was the son of William Smith who had fought in the 78th Highlander Regiment in the Napoleonic wars with Wellington up to 1815, and had himself served in the 7th Dragoon Guards in the so-called ‘Kaffir War’ (South Africa) of 1849-50. The trappings of the imperial soldier came back to the north of Scotland: he held a (part-time) commission in the Caithness Volunteers and his son played soldiers with his 11 year old friends. William Alexander Smith joined the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers in 1874 and moved through the ranks from private, to Lance Corporal, to Lieutenant – Colonel (second in command) by 1905. The mass military activity of the time was absolutely part of his culture. His mother was the daughter of Alexander Fraser who was a merchant in Glasgow.

(Gibbon 1934: 9) When William was 13 his father died on business in China and he went to Glasgow to his uncle. The histories written for boys emphasise his achievement at school and his continuing studies afterwards, as a 20 year old in a French class (Birch 1959: 17). In 1869 he joined the family firm as a junior clerk. ‘Alex. Fraser & Co. were wholesale dealers in “soft goods,” shawls being one of the principle lines, and South America their chief market.’ (Gibbon 1934:15). Smith’s involvement in business continued until 1887, first in the family firm then in partnership with his brother and a friend. We can see the man growing up to live on a big map. Knowledge and discipline are the means to take a place in the world. We can also see the excellent social connections; and, for those who like to read between the lines, the abiding pattern of the Triangular trade that had made the west coast of Britain rich. William Smith began to make choices about his life.

In 1872 he was attracted by Amelia Sutherland, the 16 year old daughter of a Presbyterian minister, and joined the choir where she sang sweetly and he did not. The narrative written for Boys’ Brigade members delights in the story of: ‘the lovely girl, whose dark eyes seemed to speak of Spain, and who was want to sing the Spanish folk songs with quaint and bewitching ease. Willie Smith fell in love with her, wooed her and won her.’ (Gibbon 1934: 25) ‘Mrs Sutherland, because of her daughter’s youth, would not consent to an engagement; but though the consummation of his hope was long delayed, William Smith’s mind was made up… he applied himself with diligence to the things to which he had set his hand.’ (Gibbon 1934,: 26). What a contrast to the anxiety about sexuality found in Baden-Powell. They married in March 1884 and the partnership was vital in the development of the Boys’ Brigade.

In the autumn of 1872 William Alexander Smith joined the Glasgow YMCA and ‘attended lectures, two of which were given by H M Stanley the famous African explorer’ (Gibbon 1934: 17). The YMCA played an important part throughout his life. In 1874 William Smith set up a branch of the YMCA in his own church with the encouragement of the minister. This was no short term matter. For example, when he married his second wife, Hannah, in 1906 (Amelia Smith had died in 1898 when their two sons were 11 and 8), ‘None of the numerous wedding presents gave greater pleasure than those from the [Boys’ Brigade] Company and the Woodside branch of the YMCA, which was largely composed of Boys from the 1st’ (Gibbon 1934: 144). In 1874 we see a change in the seriousness of William Smith’s Christianity.

On February 12th he heard the American evangelists Moody and Sankey for the first time, and on 12th April he joined the church (as an adult member) where his uncle was an office holder. Gibbon emphasises the distrust William Alexander Smith had for evangelistic missions and pledges (Gibbon 1934: 19). McFarlan notes the church focus and silence of the Scottish Sabbath (McFarlan 1983: 11). Both are trying to emphasise the thoroughness of the Christianity, and the life long nature of its discipline that marked out the style of Smith’s faith. The organising church took him into the Mission Sunday school as a teacher, and later he became secretary. It is the developing work in this building in North Woodside Road that grows Smith’s practice and ideas for new methods. Nine years of the YMCA, and, in parallel, teaching bible study to unruly young people shows him a gap. The YMCA depends on the self discipline and motivation of responsible young men. The Bible needs to be learnt for the good life, but the ‘discipline and esprit de corps’ that William Smith found in the Volunteers was sadly lacking in Sunday School.

The opportunity for unselfishness and team spirit is missing: attendance is erratic, they are there only for an hour and listen, there is no active participation… there is no form of work or play in which teamwork is called into action (Gibbon 1934: 33). William Alexander Smith established the first Boys’ Brigade unit in 1883 as a way of making Sabbath School both more attractive to boys and young men and of giving a structure to the work. The famous anchor badge was an early feature along with the motto ‘Sure and Stedfast’ (taken from Hebrews 6: 19 – ‘Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast’). The Object of the Brigade was ‘The advancement of Christ’s Kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Reverence, Discipline, Self-Respect, and all that tends towards a true Christian Manliness’. William Smith convened the first Council of the Boys’ Brigade in 1885. By 1888 he had given up any significant involvement in his business to work full time as time Secretary of the Boys’ Brigade Council.

He wrote what became known as ‘The Little Red Book’ – How to Form and Conduct a Company – and founded and edited The Boys’ Brigade Gazette. His work of regularly writing, collecting, and distributing resources to youth workers set a standard for the support, development and encouragement of youth work. William Smith was knighted in 1909 for his service to boys. He continued to work hard for the Movement up until his death (on May 10, 1914). Indeed it was at a Boys’ Brigade meeting two days earlier that he was taken ill. His body was taken to Glasgow where it is said over 150,000 people lined the route for his funeral. Whilst being Secretary William Smith remained Captain of the 1st Glasgow company and rarely missed a meeting. The Boys Brigade – military, drill, uniform and discipline The founding myth can be found in many places: William Smith drilled the Volunteers on Saturday and can’t get the same lads to sit still in Sunday School. He put the two together as the Boys Brigade on Thursday 4th October 1883 forming the 1st Company in Glasgow.

In many respects William Alexander Smith was yet another man doing something useful where he lived and yet the movement caught fire and he stopped his day job to lead and administer the Boys Brigade. Why did it attract others so effectively? What is it about aspects of the Brigade that we find hard to stomach that link to important themes in youth work? In what follows we examine some of the defining elements of the Boys’ Brigade – at least for many external commentators. To begin, however, it is important to recognize that the life of the Brigades contained many convivial aspects. William and Amelia Smith invited the boys they worked with into their house and fed and entertained them. These ‘at homes’ were really an innovation in social work. ‘Slumming’ enjoyed a certain vogue at this period, but that was quite another story. For a large proportion of those who visited mean streets and entered unclean dwellings for the first time, slumming provided a new excitement, and it gave a delicious, if transient thrill to feel that they were engaged in good works and at the same time following the fashion. They visited the homes of the poor but the idea of encouraging a return visit never entered their heads.

The example set by Mr and Mrs Smith has been followed… (Gibbon 1934: 51) This approach is one of the key ways in which what we now know as ‘youth work as social education’ began to be spread more widely, rather than just observation of young people’s lives. Alongside the emphasis upon military organization. drill, discipline and uniform there was a significant social life with many Brigades having ‘club rooms’ and making use of activities for enjoyment. William Smith strongly insisted that both Officers and Boys should share in the life of the Brigade. At camp, for example, all should join in the fun, adventure and activities. This included sharing in the hardships and eating together. One of his oft quoted phrases was ‘Put the Boy first’. Military? There is much truth in the transfer of a military pattern. The structure of the Boys’ Brigade has always had the ‘military pattern of Privates, NCOs and Officers, drilled in Squads, Companies, Battalions’ and have ‘colours, Band and Camp and an Annual Inspection or Review under the eye of a Field Marshal.’ (McFarlan 1983: 37).

How far this causes difficulty and offence now is interesting to consider. Military personnel have been important to youth work: General Gordon undertook committed work with a Ragged School in Gravesend when he was posted there in 1865 (Eager 1953: 124ff) and his spectacular death at Khartoum was sufficiently attractive to attach his name to the Boys Club in Bermondsey. The army and the other services have provided an opportunity for a developing understanding of how to motivate, encourage, and work together. The approach of an officer to a group of soldiers is one model of how an adult engages with a group of young people. The army also produced some of the first human resources management tools in their officer selection and training, and it was shell shocked soldiers that gave Bion his material for his classic analysis of group work (Bion 1943). In the 1970s it was easy to find in many of the Brigades (Church Lads and Boys’ Brigades) officers who did National Service and continued that commitment to the wider community in their youth work. However, today there are significantly less officers with military experience.

It is interesting, for example, to see that the current President of the Teesside Battalion of the Boys’ Brigade is a learning mentor in his day job, showing continuing links between private and public acts of commitment to the wider community. Resistance to the ordered behaviour of Brigades by other young people has been notorious from the earliest days. Davies emphasised how working class ‘hooligans’ could make life uncomfortable for those attending the early Scouts and Boys Brigades’ (1999: 1-14), and this is a continuing experience that others will recognise. In the North East there remains a strong tradition of Brigades and it may in part be due to the fact that this small region (1,010,676 people in the England and Wales workforce population of 23,529,052 [ONS 2001]) makes up about a quarter of the Armed Services workforce. Respect for the forces, based on personal links, seen as a possible route out of poor job prospects, may mean that the militaristic element is simply seen as smart and organised.

Where there are good job prospects the intrusion of a military structure can be seen as disruptive (Osgerby 1998:21). Drill? Drill was an important feature of Boys’ Brigades. However, as McFarlen put it, ‘The rifles caused the biggest offence’. Drill was part of Williams Smith’s training and ‘it seemed only natural in those days that the only good drill was one that included the precise thud and slap and smart control of rifles exercised in precision. Some of the earliest manuals available from the Boys’ Brigade were: Infantry Drill, Manual Exercises for the Rifle and Carbine, and Firing Exercises’ (McFarlan 1983: 37). William Smith took what he was familiar with and what had by then been developed. It is certainly the case that there was an anxiety about the fitness of recruits for the Boer War (Black and MacRaild 2003:95), but there is a more long-standing quest for health and fitness in work with young people. It is also the case that William Smith’s own background would predispose him to think highly of the army’s approach and requirements, but why did it attract others so effectively?

In part it is that people wanted to develop their ideas about physical activity. Drill of various sorts (such as Swedish Drill, devised in 1870) was becoming more widespread and people wanted advice and guidance on what to do and this is what William Smith provided. Eagar places these developments in the development of ‘virile recreation’ (Eagar 1953:98ff) in the 19th. Century (see, also, muscular Christianity). Enclosure and industrialisation meant that, for example in Blackburn, ‘by 1833 the right of recreation had been lost’ (Eagar 1953: 101). It was regained by: the 1847 Ten Hours Act which allowed the masses time to play (Eagar 1953: 102) and began to challenge the situation where ‘the industrialised working boy of 1770-1880 was … deprived of the activities proper to his age, who had no chance of playing games and formed no habit of open air exercise.

Boys Clubs … began the restoration of that part of their birthright to working boys’(Eagar 1953:103). There are a variety of activities that are part of this development such as camping, day trips to the sea, games, playing fields, swimming pools, gymnastics and drill. The issue of ‘physical development’ in youth work is a long standing discussion. Wholesome activity was a focus for other 19th Century initiatives: Quintin Hogg’s Regent Street Polytechnic had a splendid gymnasium (with structures like ship’s rigging running into the roof) (Eager 1953:249, 160). Cricket recurs in the stories of Boys Clubs in Kennington in the same period (Eager 1953:170ff). The boredom of existing forms of gymnastics in the YMCA led James Naismith to devise basketball in 1891 using a football and the gymnasium he had at Springfield Massachusetts (Titmuss 1998: 8f).

It wasn’t until 1905 that the state began to systematically advocate exercise in schools (Board of Education 1909: v) with their ‘Suggestions for the Considerations of Teachers’. A detailed Manual with instructions and diagrams was published in 1909. This was also based on Swedish Drill and it is interesting that ‘As early as 1911, the Board of Education, via Dr. Newman (responsible for PE in schools) began to express some disquiet about Swedish Gymnastics, he described it as boring.’ (Umu 2005). Team games developed in part to address the issue of boredom in physical activity. Eagar reports the use of cricket, and the emergence of football in the imagination of the late 19th Century young men (Eagar 1953: 105-8). The ways to avoid boredom as far as Smith was concerned was to increase the level of participation and make a noise. A marching band and brigade allows a significant level of complexity to develop and participation by all members.

Interestingly, it also allows its members to occupy public space in a legitimate way: there are not many occasions when adults smile to see a group of 50 young people proceeding down the middle of the High Street together. A parade can allow young people to have a place in their community that is respected. Drill also allows a task to be complete, and in a world where young people are being tested for some possible situation 5 or 10 years hence that can’t be bad. Youth workers now may look at drill as the exclusive preserve of the cadets and brigades and it may be that this is due to the excellent tradition we have built up of street games, cooperative games and so on. The New Games Foundation, for example, emphasises fun, and ‘you don’t need special equipment… or to be in shape.. or to worry about being a superstar’ (Fluegelman 1981:10). In part this was a response to the professionalizing and commodifying of recreation and sport by arguing that losing a game has become the dominant experience in what was meant to be playful.

Dearling and Armstrong (1995: 3) see their collection of games and pastimes as a way of allowing intergenerational activity, connecting with past traditions, finding support and fun, building relationships and skills. But we can look at those same statements of purpose and use them to describe drill. Uniform? The Boys Brigade began with a modest uniform of cap, belt and haversack (McFarlan 1983:17f). The Volunteer movement began as a patriotic crisis in 1859 (Eager 1953: 314) and Smith wore its uniform as an adult. In Glasgow the Boys’ Brigade uniform picked up a practice that was more widespread than the Volunteers William Alexander Smith commanded: there were Foundry Boys in 1865 who had the same sort of kit. More widely, brigades for shoe shine boys and street sweepers were given uniforms to show that they had a legitimate place in city streets (there is a wider study of the uniformed antecedents of the Boys’ Brigade by Robin Bolton to be published by the Youth Work Press (Bolton 2005)).

Wearing uniform became one of the defining features of the Boys Brigade, and the changes to the uniform down the years have been accompanied by heartache that is typical of an organisation that takes its identity through history seriously. Looking at the care that goes into young people’s self presentation in a visual culture (Polhemus (1994) it is hard to see the appeal of uniforms that may appear uncreative or ‘uncool’. The Streetstyle list of 39 different young people’s cultures (biker, punk, etc) can indicate distinctiveness and conservatism: ‘Style isn’t trendy. Quite the opposite. It’s inherently conservative and traditional and it is for this reason that it often makes use of permanent body decorations’ (Polhemus (1994:13). Put this way a uniform seems less stark. Uniforms can be seen as a way that organisations distinguish members from non-members, to support the values and tasks of the group (Nathan Joseph’s view in Rubinstein 1995: 67). Choosing to put on a uniform is a social tie symbol (Rubinstein 1995:206): it shows that the wearer wants to support the organisation, to be with the others.

This combination of values, distinctive behaviour and aspiration are precisely what the Boys’ Brigade expressed when the object was first written: the advancement of Christ’s kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness. The Boys Brigade focuses on the processes rather than accredited outputs. Discipline? Above all there are the insights that William Alexander Smith had into the lives of young people and the sort of activities and interventions that work. It is interesting to see the contrast with the view of the ‘depravity’ or sinfulness of people, characteristic of many Calvinists. In the Boys’ Brigade the emphasis is on starting from the young person, characteristic of most youth work. He had no patience with the theory that boys are unregenerate beings, and that to make them good we have to start from this rock bottom level. He believed that they are essentially good, and only require the inspiration of Christ the Hero to make them heroic too. His constant advice was ‘Trust the boys’.

(Gibbon 1934: 98) Henry Drummond (William Alexander Smith’s contemporary and Free Church professor of Natural Science in Glasgow University) was struck by the way in which many young men hesitated (‘through shyness, modesty, or fastidiousness’ [Eagar 1953:326]) to join in with evangelism but the Boys Brigade enabled men to join in with church work. What interests young men in the Boys’ Brigade is the naturalness of the work. It is absolutely natural for a young man to be mixed up with boys… to take up their cause, to lay himself alongside their interests, to play the part of an older brother to them. He altogether understands them; he knows their ways and dodges, and has been in all their scrapes. A mother does not really know a boy in the least. She has never been a boy. (Drummond quoted in Eagar 1953:326). The memories of many Boys’ Brigade companies are of groups of people who grew into friendship and were proud to see their young men become adults. Outwardly the style is systemic, focusing on group organisation, making team players.

At the heart is the relationship between the officer and young man. Looking at the purpose of Boys’ Brigade content we see: true Christian manliness: the Bible and the Christian life. This seems more disciplined than many a youth programme but look at it from the right perspective. Eager was right ‘A Boys’ Brigade Company is always connected with a church. A vigorous church, which always has young men of good type in its congregation has a good company if it has one at all. A feeble church which makes no appeal to young men is almost bound to fail.’ (Eagar 1953:323). In this sense the role of the Boys’ Brigade is not to abuse its power (the concern of Maxine Green (1999: 110ff) but to build and develop a Christianity that is part of young people’s lives. Not the only way to do it In the end the Boys’ Brigade was not the only way to work with young men. In Smith’s own lifetime the Boys’ Brigade was criticised and imitated by the Scouts and the development of the Boys Clubs.

The former saw too slavish a devotion to a form of army life that wasn’t successful and tried to be empowering to a greater extent, seeing the potential in young people. The Boys clubs knew that the social groups being addressed by the Boys’ Brigade were nicer than the reality of the cities of Britain. And ever since new forms of youth work have emerged to try to improve on what has gone before. But the Boys’ Brigade still carries some interesting aspects of youth work that can stimulate us to think twice about what we are doing. Bibliography Bion, W. R. (1943) ‘Intra group tensions in therapy’ The Lancet 27th November 1943 available in (1961) Experiences in Groups, London: Routledge. Birch, A. E. (1959) The story of the Boys Brigade, London: Frederick Muller. Black, J. and MacRaild, D. (2003) Nineteenth Century Britain, London: Palgrave. Board of Education (1909) The Syllabus of Physical Exercises for School, London: HMSO. Bolton, R.

(2005) First for Boys? (to be published), Leicester: Youth Work Press. Davies, B. (1999) A History of the Youth Service in England (2 Volumes), Leicester: Youth Work Press. Dearling, A. and Armstrong, H. (1995) World Youth Games, Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing. Eager, W. McG. (1953) Making men: the history of Boys Clubs and related movements in Great Britain, London: University of London Press. Fluegelman, A. (1981) More new Games, New York: Doubleday. Gibbon, F. P. (1934) William A Smith of the Boys’ Brigade, Glasgow: Collins. Green, M. (1999) ‘The youth worker as Converter ‘ in S. Banks (1999) Ethical Issues in Youth Work, London: Routledge. McFarlan, D. M. (1982) First for Boys: the story of the Boys Brigade 1883-1983, Glasgow: Collins. Osgerby, B.

(1998) Youth in Britain since 1945, Oxford: Blackwell. Polhemus, T. (1994) Streetstyle: from sidewalk to catwalk, London: V&A Thames and Hudson. Rubinstein, R. (1995) Dress Codes, Boulder: Westview. Titmuss, D. (1998) Play the game: Basketball, London: Cassell. Umu (2005) ‘Historical study of PE’ accessed Links Smith’s biography: Museum of Smith’s life: Scottish Boys’ Brigade: British Boys’ Brigade where there is a good history of both Smith and the Boys Brigade: Acknowledgements: Picture: Oulton Broad Boys’ Brigade circa 1930. Picture sourced from Flickr and credited to jelltecks – 5339123169. Reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) licence. Picture: William Alexander Smith believed to be in the public domain. To cite this article: Roberts, Jonathan (2006).

‘William Alexander Smith -the founder of the Boys’ Brigade as a youth worker’, the encyclopedia of informal education. [ . Retrieved: insert date]. Jonathan Roberts works in the School of Social Sciences and Law, University of Teesside. © Jonathan Roberts 2006 HISTORY - 1sttewkesburybb HISTORY CONTACT The Boys' Brigade is the world's oldest running uniformed youth organisation and was founded in Glasgow by William Alexander Smith on 4th October 1883. He was a part time soilder and Sunday School Teacher and established Boys' Brigade on the twin pillars of discipline and religion. BB were the first uniformed group to take boys camping in 1885 and one of the first organisations involved in the D of E Award on it's introduction in 1956. Baden Powell was a BB Vice President and first developed his ideas for Scouting while involved with the movement, the first 'Scout Camp' on Brownsea Island in 1907 was made up largely of Boys' Brigade members.

Boys' Brigade first came to Tewkesbury in 1905 but lasted only a few years, it restarted in 1956 and has been very active over the last 60 years with 1,000's of young people being part of it. Today we have over 70 members and take part in a wide range of local, district and national events. There are over half a million members involved in BB around the world and more than 50,000 young people in the UK who meet each week to benefit from all our organisation has to offer. In Gloucestershire there are 10 BB Companies and a very active programme of competitions and events. The Pioneers of Youth Work 133 Years on, Still going Strong - 1883 to 2016 The Boys' Brigade, Glasgow Battalion Log In Sir William Alexander Smith It was late on a Wednesday evening in July 1909 that William Smith quietly left The Boys' Brigade camp at Tighnabruaich and departed for London. He was to return the following Friday morning to resounding cheers and applause from all the Boys at camp.

He was now Sir William Smith, Knighted by King Edward VII for founding The Boys' Brigade movement through the first Glasgow Company in 1883. Since that first day of the beginning of the Brigade, Captain William Smith set about leading by example. He was an enthusiastic and tireless worker, a man of commonsense who came from a military background believing in discipline and organisation. He was also a religious man who grew up in a devout Scottish family and it was through these influences on his life that he founded The Boys' Brigade movement, - following the principles of his own upbringing. Smith was a true pioneer. What person could possibly think up the idea of putting young Boys in uniform, marching and using churches to meet together in groups? The suggestions, in a Victorian Britain, seemed absurd and there was much opposition to his early plans. Yet Captain Smith soldiered on. He worked hard travelling up and down the country ensuring that all Battalions were run to his exacting high standards and soon his infectious enthusiasm brought its reward. The movement grew and expanded overseas and from its pioneering spirit other youth organisations were formed. William Smith was a Scot but not a Glaswegian as may be presumed.

He was born at Pennyland House, half a mile from Thurso on the North Eastern coast of Scotland, son of a military father and into a strong Christian family. His early years were spent doing military drill and attending church meetings. When in 1909, just 5 years before his death, he received his Knighthood for services to Boys, a poem was written to mark the occasion by John W McLeod, which was printed on the menu at a dinner given in his honour, it read, - "PENNYLAND" History – 167th Glasgow Company Boys' Brigade Home > History The Boys’ Brigade was the first uniformed organisation for boys and it was founded in Glasgow in 1883 by William Alexander Smith (later knighted for his work in the B.B.). Sir William Alexander Smith William Smith was born in Thurso and moved to Glasgow to work. It was while he served as a Sunday school teacher that he thought of providing a weeknight activity for his Sunday school boys were they could both learn discipline, which would help them to behave at Sunday school and get rid of their energy on P.T. and other activities.

Included in later programmes was an outdoor activity called scouting for Boys’ based on a booklet written for Smith by Baden-Powell, who was a close friend of his, but it was later recognised by both men that this activity was big enough to support separate organisation, hence the Boy Scout Association. The 167th is one of 92 companies in Glasgow Battalion. The unit of the BB is the company, and companies work in district’s. There are now 8 such district’s in the battalion. The 167th belongs to Bellahouston District. The 167th Glasgow is part of St. Andrew & St. Nicholas Church (formerly St. Nicholas’ Cardonald) and the captain is responsible to the kirk session for the conduct of the company. He is assisted by officers and NCO’s, and is charged with carrying out the object, which is “The advanced of Christ’s kingdom amongst boys and the promotion of habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self-respect, and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness”.

The Number 167th originally belonged to a company attached to Eastpark Church, Kelvinside, which was founded in 1917 and merged with the 6th Glasgow in 1938. The new 167th was started with about 30 boys in 1939. From the outset it was the company’s stated intention to carry out it’s work in the best traditions of the B.B. The outbreak of World War Two in 1939 upset plans for the first camp, and with rationing of food and clothing, blackouts, and officers in the Armed Forces, it was difficult to keep a company going. In spite of these problems the 167th, not only survived but managed to build a reputation in the battalion for being a company to respect. A full programme was operated, including badge work and competitions. Many of the senior boys’ acted as casualties and messengers during Air Raid drills. The first King’s Badge was awarded in 1944, and the first camp to Ardrossan (Anne’s Lodge) which was an army H.Q.

In 1949 a pipe band was started with support from members of the congregation, and in 1958 the company received a gift of colours from a family in the congregation and these added great dignity to the company’s parades. The company saw many changes in the Brigade’s programme, badge and activity work, in uniform and the structure of the company, and was able to adapt to these changes to meet the challenges of the times. Membership numbers in the U.K. were on the decline, although overseas the story was different. Contributions from the U.K. Companies was a great source of aid to overseas development, where conditions are very different to those at home. The brigade celebrated its centenary year in 1983 and can look back with pride to what has been achieved in its work with boys an in the churches. This is now a time to look forward, hopefully to a further hundred years of service. The needs are still there, but with the many alternative activities available to boys it is much more difficult to hold boys. Also the rebuilding of cities causes breakdown in the traditional “villages” structure. All these changes mean that the Brigade Officer must do something special to attract and hold the modern boy.

With our past history we should have the experience; what we need is a future source of suitable manpower. Manpower within and out with the working company, officers within, and friends and supporters in the background. The 167th Glasgow celebrated its 75th anniversary during 2014 and if we ensure the company’s survival it will have a part in the future of the Brigade. The survival of companies is paramount for the survival of the Brigade. Past Captains About BB The Boysï¿½ Brigade BB is the oldest uniformed youth organisation, founded in 1883 in Glasgow by William Alexander Smith. It was originally organised in a military style and we have a legacy of that today in some of our terminology. The local unit is the "Company", companies in an area form a "Battalion". Those leaders who are trained and enrolled by BB are Warrant Officers, Lieutenants or, if in charge of a company, Captains. Over the years, BB has developed its programmes of activities, keeping pace with the expectations of young people. The national organisation sets standards for leader training, and safety and child protection policies.

BB Object, Badge and Motto The Object of the Boyï¿½s Brigade: The advancement of Christï¿½s Kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness. The Boyï¿½s Brigade Badge is an anchor in front of a red cross with the Motto ï¿½Sure and Steadfastï¿½ which is taken from the Bible at Hebrews Chapter 6 Verse 19. Founder and History Company Section (age 12-15 years) Not every Company has all four age groups and some have slightly different age limits. Often Company Section and Senior Section groups meet together. An AMICUS group has an age range (14 - 22) which also allows girl members. The 24th SEE Company , at Hawkwell, has an AMICUS group instead of Seniors. Hadleigh Baptist has an AMICUS group with no other sections. There is no typical BB programme - leaders plan their evenings to meet the needs and expectations of their own boys, ensuring that boys enjoy sufficient, varied activities to qualify for badges in the Award Schemes.

Members of the younger sections, Anchor Boys and Juniors usually enjoy games and crafts during their evening. This will include some form of Christian teaching, at a level appropriate to their age. There may be drama, music and stories as well. Company and Senior Sections are even more varied. Sports and games usually feature prominently. Some companies offer participation in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. Many of the ideas come from the "Discover" programme pack. Most sections offer a tuck shop during their evening. Members get out for trips, visits to the swimming pool and outings. There are many opportunities for groups to join together in competitions and fun events organised by Battalion, District or the Brigade. Sections may organise sleepovers or short camps depending on age. The week long Annual Camp is a highlight for many in Company and Senior Sections. A company has a great deal of freedom to arrange its programme. The Brigade supports companies with programme material. Church Affiliation A BB Company is usually part of a Church, which appoints the leaders. The Church will ensure that BB leaders are aware of and comply with Child Protection policies. The BB has Award Schemes by which boys can earn badges through participation in activities within the Company programme.

As boys progress through the Awards Scheme they may have the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and to achieve their BB Presidentï¿½s Badge and Queenï¿½s Badge , the highest Award in the Boysï¿½ Brigade. Email enquiries about BB in SE Essex to the Battalion Secretary The Boys' Brigade was founded in Glasgow on 4th October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith (pictured). From this one Company formed in Scotland the BB has grown in to a world wide movement having worked with millions of children and young people for well over a century. The Boysï¿½ Brigade celebrated its Centenary in 1983 and its 125th Anniversary in 2008. Some BB Companies, where no alternative organisation for girls (e.g. Girlsï¿½ Brigade) exist, provide a Girlsï¿½ Association. The 22nd Southend-on-Sea Company have a Girlï¿½s Association. History The Boys' Brigade was founded in 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith. William Alexander Smith was born on 27th October 1854 in Thurso in the north of Scotland.

William was a Lance Corporal in the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers as well as a Sunday School teacher at North Woodside Mission in Glasgow. He noted the Boys in his class had little discipline and felt that the Boys would benefit from some of the methods used by the Volunteers. He progressed this idea and formed the Boys' Brigade, an organisation that would contnue to grow and spread throughout the World. William Alexander Smith was knighted in 1909 by King Edward VII for his services to Boys and died in 1914. Worldwide the Boys' Brigade currently has 500,000 members in over 60 countries. Our Object The Object of The Boys' Brigade is: 'The advancement of Christ's kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.' Our Motto 8th Penang Company, The Boys'Brigade In Malaysia 马来西亚第八分队 _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Boys' Brigade History The Boys' Brigade (BB) is the world's first uniformed youth organisation.

The idea for this interdenominational Christian organisation was conceived by William Alexander Smith, to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values. Following its inception in Glasgow in 1883, the BB quickly spread across the United Kingdom and became a worldwide organisation by the early 1890s. As of 2003, there were 500,000 Boys' Brigade members in 60 countries. The first Boys' Brigade company was set up by Sir William Alexander Smith on 4 October, 1883, at Free Church Mission Hall, North Woodside Road, Glasgow, Scotland, to develop "Christian manliness" by the use of a semi-military discipline and order, gymnastics, summer camps, and religious services and classes.In the years following the establishment of the 1st Glasgow company, others were rapidly formed throughout Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom leading to a movement comprising thousands of boys. The Boys Brigade movement in Wales was founded by George Phillip Reynolds in 1887 at Havelock Sreet Presbyterian Church, Newport, Monmouthshire.

The Boys' Life Brigade was one of many similar movements formed by the Boys' Brigade's influence, sometimes along denominational or religious lines, including the Church Lads' Brigade, the Jewish Lads' Brigade, or the Catholic Boys' Brigade. The merger also prompted the abandonment of dummy drill rifles that had been used in The Boys' Brigade, due to the Life Brigade's objection to use of weapons or their representations. For some time afterwards, the section covering members aged 8–12 years was known as Life Boys, before being restyled as the Junior section (see below). A popular hymn in the BB containing its motto and obvious reference to its emblem is "Will Your Anchor Hold" by Priscilla Owens, usually sung at displays and church services. Note, however, that this is not the official Boys' Brigade song. [ more ] ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Boys' Brigade Malaysia History The Boys' Brigade was founded in Glasgow, Scotland on 4 October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith. It became the oldest uniform youth organisation in the world. It spread rapidly to North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

However, the BB did not appear in the Asian scene until 1915 when the first Company was founded in the Chinese city of Swatow by the Rev Guthrie Gamble (the famous Swatow BB was to become a legend in later years in China) The BB came to South East Asia in 1930 with the founding of the 1stSingapore Company by Mr James Fraser. The Boys’ Brigade did not come to Malaya until the after the second World War. A British soldier by the name of Robert Davis (former Captain of 6th Birkenhead Company at the Tranmere Freehold Methodist Church and later Tranmere United Reformed Church) gave the idea of The Boys’ Brigade to one of Penang’s great educationist, the late Mr Geh Hun Kheng, who accepted the challenge becoming the first BB Captain in Malaya. Mr Geh realised that he had to do his "small share" to win the Boys over from the various subversive groups that were so rife after the Pacific War. The first meeting of 20 Boys was held in the Methodist Church in Madras Lane on a Sunday in September 1946.

Penang thus became thespringboard from which Companies were started first in Kuala Lumpur and then in other parts of the country. When Malaysia achieved independence on 31 August 1957, The Boys’ Brigade was given the honour of being invited to take part in the Merdeka Parade (Independence Day Parade). After Merdeka (Independence), The Boys’ Brigade began to spread rapidly as a result of the formation of the Malayan Council of The Boys’ Brigade under the initiative of Mr Khoo Oon Soo. More and more Companies were founded in every major town in Malaya. Even small rural towns began to have BB Companies functioning efficiently. By this time firm and friendly contact had been made with the BB in Singapore which helped in the supply and sale of equipment and with the founding of the first Company in Borneo in 1959, the 1st Kuching Company.

In 1962, the BB in Malaya became a member of the Pacific Regional Fellowship (subsequently joined the East Asia Regional Fellowship when it was formed later) and the first Pacific camp was held with the co-operation of the Singapore Battalion in Port Dickson in December 1963.[ more ] ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 8th Penang History EPCOM is the short-form of "Eight Penang Company", The Boys' Brigade in Malaysia. We will be celebrating our 26th Year Anniversary this year. Throughout these 26 years, many Boys have learnt many skills and knowledge about life, many made new friends and were fully prepared for the life challenges ahead after they have left the company. EPCOM is growing very fast. The numbers of new members are increasing every year. The 8th Penang Company runs weekly meeting on every Saturday, from 8 am - 10.30 am., which will include badgework, drill, games and band in the respective schools where we function. During holidays there will also be time for community services and other meaningful work to expose the boys to help the society and learn more about themselves.

8th Penang Company first came to Penang Air Itam Chinese Methodist Church (AICMC) in September 1982. Our first Chaplain, Pastor Teh Cheng Leong appointed Mr Goh Eng Wan, a responsible young church member to start the Boys' Brigade. The first Recruitment Day was held on 5th September 1982. With the co-operation of some pioneer Officers - Michael Ang (Lieutenant, from 1982 until 1989), Michael Tan Jin Chye (Warrant Officer), Lau Yew Keat (Warrant Officer), Jenny Ong (Warrant Officer, Junior Section) and Chiang Yew Chuan (Warrant Officer, Junior Section), BB in AICMC started. On 5th of September 1982, 3:00 p.m, 8th Penang Company had the first meeting with almost 20 NEW members from each section (Junior and Senior) turning up. These Boys were mostly came from Air Itam "pekan".

By January 1983, 8th Penang Company has been registered by Boys' Brigade in Malaysia (BBM) and we had our commission parade to be a new company fully called "8th Penang Company" (EPCOM). The parade was graced by Mr. Peh the elder of Air Itam Methodist Church then. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ bb ï¿½ ï¿½ The Boys Brigade is an International Youth organisation with companies in the UK, Denmark (FDF), India, South Africa, Finland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Japan, China and many other countries across the globe. Approximately the Boys Brigade has a membership of 475,000 boys worldwide. To find out more please visit the Boys' Brigade national Website on .

KEY DATES IN THE HISTORY OF THE BOYSï¿½ BRIGADE; 1854 - William Alexander Smith born (27th October) 1883 - BB Founded in Glasgow (4th October) 1886 - First BB Camp (Tignabruaich) 1908 - Scout Movement Formed (by Baden Powell, developed from the BB model) 1909 - William Alexander Smith knighted (July) 1914 - Sir William Alexander Smith died (10th May) 1917 - Boy Reserves started 1926 - Amalgamation of The Boys' Brigade with The Boys' Life Brigade 1933 - Jubilee Celebrations 1976 - World Conference (of The Boys' Brigade) formed 1983 - Centenary Celebrations 1993 - Junior Section 75th Anniversary (previously called 'Life Boys') 2002 - World Conference renamed to Global Fellowship of Christian Youth 2004 - 150th Anniversary of the Founder's birth 2008 - 125th Anniversary of The Boys' Brigade

Question: What organisation was founded by William Alexander Smith in 1883 in Glasgow?
Answer: Boys Brigade